(MPI) - Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung hosted a reception in Hanoi on July 28 for newly-appointed Country Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for Vietnam Shantanu Chakraborty.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung (right) and ADB Country Director for Vietnam Shantanu Chakraborty. Photo: MPI

Minister Dung congratulated Chakraborty on his appointment as the new country director for Vietnam, expressing his wish that he will continue to maintain and boost the fruitful cooperation between ADB and Vietnam including the Ministry of Planning and Investment in an substantive and effective manner.

ADB is always an important partner of Vietnam with the provision of technical, resource, financial support, and policy consultation, contributing to the country’s socio-economic development.

He spoke highly of ADB’s support priorities with the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) framework, which align with Vietnam's development orientations, particularly in infrastructure development, human resources training, institution improvement, and climate change response.

He suggested the ADB continue to assist Vietnam in accessing preferential funding, speed up the progress of its project implementation that ensuring compliance with Vietnamese laws, and select projects matching with the CPS’s conditions and Vietnam’s needs. He expressed his hope that the bank will support Vietnam to access more non-refundable grants.

He also took the occasion to thank the ADB for their commitments in financing six out of 16 projects on the Mekong Delta’s sustainable development in adaptation to climate change (Mekong DPO projects).

The minister also proposed that the ADB continue to consider and support Vietnam in accessing green financial sources to achieve its ambitious goals of transiting to a fair energy system and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, as well as in establishing an international financial centre in Ho Chi Minh City, towards the country’s objective of renewal of growth model based on science, technology and innovation.

For his part, Chakraborty expressed his gratitude to the ministry’s close coordination with the ADB office in Vietnam to ensure that their activities are in accordance with the needs of Vietnamese agencies and localities. He pledged his efforts to prioritise support activities for Vietnam during his tenure.

ADB’s CPS 2023-2026 for Vietnam aims to promote comprehensive, green development and the growth of the private sector to help Vietnam achieve its targets of becoming an upper middle-income country by 2030, and a developed, high-income country by 2045.

New ADB country director said that Vietnam is currently the most dynamic growing country in the region, and the ADB is ready to help the nation effectively addressing current challenges and achieving set goals. ADB is committed to quickly and effectively implement the CPS for Vietnam, and accompany the country in its development path./.

Bao Linh

Ministry of Planning and Investment